Everyday illustrated life – from inspirations and sketches to the function and story of illustration beyond the page – Gallery, About, Blog, Shop PaperCloudSky

All posts tagged: drawing

It’s always satisfying, not only to see a project completed, but to celebrate the progression of an idea – from initial spark through to finished work. And in this case I’m celebrating the completion of the artwork

I once bought the perfect artist’s sketch book – with a black leather-look cover and wonderful thick, acid-free pages. But when I unwrapped it and set it carefully on my art desk it would not work. Every time I opened the book blank pages stared at me – expressionless and fixedly white – until I closed its cover and placed it neatly on my shelf. There it observed life for a year or two, while I sketched happily on any other paper. Only when its spell had faded somewhat, did I open it again. Even then, I had to coax it into action by beginning journal style. On the first blank page, I washi-taped a smudged 2b thumbnail sketch (something I’d prepared earlier) on a ripped-edge scrap of lined foolscap. On the second blank page I taped a post-it note drawing of a smiling face. By the third page my drawings had escaped the additional scraps and sticky-notes – spreading outwards over the pages of that sketch book. Perhaps the hurdle was my conditioned love of …

Today, photos of two pencil drawings. Each with a different purpose – each a step towards print ready, finished art for a children’s literature poem – at different stages of my illustration process. The first photograph depicts a thumbnail sketch – combining layout and my initial spark of a visual idea. Here I’m focussing on the position of elements – the illustrative content and the text for a single page layout – both are intertwined. For the illustrations on the page, I’m focussing on characters and what they are doing – suggesting facial expressions – and any other important visual items. Often, I’ll highlight what I consider important elements with clarifying arrows and notes, because my ideas sketches are quick – mostly a reminder to myself – simply getting the idea down on paper. The second photograph also depicts the child from the thumbnail sketch in the first photo. Design and position on the paper are not important – here I’m focussing on rendering the child and reliant on reference pictures I have in my own photographic library. I shoot a lot of photos – subjects, people, animals, landscapes, …

On Summer holidays, during time spent without wi-fi – in contrast to bay window views of a windswept coastline with dolphins in the waves beyond the dunes – I found myself cat watching. A ball of contentment, my feline host made it clear that chair sitting (on velvet upholstery) was her everyday super power – and who could argue? Instead, I chose one of half a dozen vinyl perches. Then lulled by sounds of the sea, the cry of gulls and purring – I started to sketch. So, what is a sketch? Using my own super powers of observation, I picked up a ballpoint pen and began with those closed eyes and an amazing number of whiskers – referencing them and her nose. I positioned her ears; sketched the shape of her cheeks which lead to her tail tucked-in under her chin, there with her paws. After that, another flurry of light pen lines to suggest her overall shape, and I was back where I’d started. But it doesn’t end there! When does a sketch become a …

Above you’ll find a preview – an early version of a new card illustration inspired by the pair of hungry ‘white clouds’ in the nest outside my window. Who could resist drawing these chicks? See photo below. Related Blog post: The Waiting Branch, One or Two?

Annmarie Scott is an illustrator, writer and maker based in Brisbane Australia. A graduate of the Queensland College of Art with a BA in Illustration, Annmarie’s artwork has been published on magazine and book covers, and between the pages of children’s picture books.